Living a healthy lifestyle is much more than just eating nutritious foods and exercising regularly. It is also about taking care of your mental and spiritual well-being. In order to have a successful journey towards a healthier lifestyle, it is important to boost your mood and maintain a positive outlook. In this blog post, we will discuss three simple ways to immediately boost your mood and help you on your journey towards a healthy lifestyle.
1) Get Moving
Physical activity is any bodily movement that involves your muscles and expends energy. That includes simple movements such as climbing stairs, walking to work, raking leaves, strolling with your dog or playing with your kids. Exercise is a physical activity that is planned, structured and repetitive. So get out there and get moving. You will quickly start to feel a boost in your mood and happily help your journey to a healthy lifestyle.
Here are some ways to get moving:
Walk to the window and look into the light. Exposure to natural light during the day (especially in the morning) is crucial for keeping your body rhythms in sync and regulating sleep, metabolism and mood. Windows in the workplace have been associated with improved well-being. If you don’t have an office with a window, barge into someone else’s. Bonus: It’ll get you away from that frustrating/annoying/upsetting email you’ve been stewing over.
And better still, head toward the nearest park, however small. Yeah, you’ll need to set aside more than 30 seconds for this one, but research says just five minutes meandering in green spaces is a great pick-me-up.
Move your way into a better mood. Acting out happy movements—like skipping, hopping, jumping or just throwing your hands up in the air—can make you feel happier. (It’s like the smiling thing, but with wiggling.) There’s also lots of research into the positive mood effects of moderate exercise: They are near-immediate and can last for minutes or hours.
2) Change Your Diet
Eating a healthy diet can go a long way toward supporting a positive mood. It might mean a little extra effort, especially with today’s busy lifestyles. But it’s worth it to eat well and wisely — so you can feel your best, in body, mind, and spirit.
A balanced diet can help promote a balanced mood. Many of your body’s activities are controlled by natural chemicals called neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters carry signals between nerves and other cells to help manage your heartbeat, breathing, emotions, concentration levels, and more. And by eating certain foods, you can help stimulate the production of some neurotransmitters.
Well-known neurotransmitters include:
Dopamine
Serotonin
Endorphins
Oxytocin
What boosts serotonin fast?
Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that can affect mood. Eating foods that contain the essential amino acid known as tryptophan can help the body to produce more serotonin. Foods, including salmon, eggs, spinach, and seeds are among those that help boost serotonin naturally.
3) Connect with Others
You’re less likely to get bored when you have a workout buddy, especially a friend. While you’re catching up, having a laugh, and encouraging each other, your mood is boosted and the serotonin is flowing, you’re also getting healthier. It’s a win-win.
Chatting with a friend during exercise and breaks can help the time pass quickly too. You’ll have more options as well, such as a game of tennis or pickleball.
Doing these 3 things
Get moving, changing your diet, and connecting with others will help boost your mood and get you on a healthy lifestyle journey.